The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-01-21

In the Century for December, Mrs.
Ernest Hart of London gives an ac-
count of the establishment of cottage
Industries in Donegal, from which we
lake the following extract: "a brave.
simple, independent. and penurious peo-
pie are these Donegal peasantry, and
work we determined to give them; but
how? Could poor, PARKWAY Donegal
compete with the thousand mills of
Bradford and Manchester Reflection
on the peculiar conditions and capabil-
tiles of a peasantry rooted in the soil,
but willing to work at home industries,
bade me hope; and in spite of wise
political economists who told me / could
not put back the clock, that | was at
tempting the impossible. l determined
to try to revive, with the aid of the
modern influences of art and science,
the old cottage industries which once
flourlshed among these people. A
Donegal farm consists of from five to
ten acres of bog-land that has to be re-
claimed, and the farmer migrates in
the summer TO England or Scotland as
a fa~rm-laborer; if during the long win
ter months of enforced agricultural idle
ness he and his family could be en-
ployed at some industry that could be
pursued at home, it would, | thought,
be sufficient to lift the family out of des-
%titution, and the recurrent spring fam
ines would be forestalled. What could
the people dop They could spin, weave,
knit, embroider, sew, and make lace.
Spinning was and is still done on the
primitive large wheel, the wheel being
turned with one hand, while the thread
is manipulated with the other. The
carding was careless and the thread
uneven; the weaving was slovenly done
in narrow looms which have not even
the flying shuttle, and the rough gray
cloth made had no sale in the large
towns. There were. however, many
excellent knitters, as the knitting indus
try, owing to the ~cheapness of labor,
had survived; but embroidery or 'sprig-
giDg' had been killed outright by Swiss
machine competition. To make a long
story short, i set to work to remedy
these defects and then to find u market
for the goods. / sent yarn and wool
and patterns, with careful and minute
instructions, into the mountain villages;
l established agencies in the most remote
districts; I insisted on the exact fulfill
ment of orders, and gave technical in
formation about dyeing, washing,
weaving. ETC., and now, after nearly
three years steady cultivation of these
industries, homespun, made enterely by
hand, are turned out of these village
looms, which compete with the Scotch
in texture, quality, and price, and which
are bought by Poole and other fashiona-
BILE tailors. as well as patronized and
worn by Mr.. Parnell. The peasants
also produce hand-knitted hosiery and
gloves, which have taken the highest
awards; delicate hand-sewn under-linen
for trousseaux and outfits. and needle
point laces fit for bridal dresses. The
benefit to the people IS not only in the
money which now comes into these
poyerty-stricken villages. but also in the
impetus thus given to Irish home indus
tries and the encouragement TO good
work. These forgotten peasant folk
have been brought inro communication
with the outside world; they have been
lifted out of their despair, and have
been taught that by intelligent industry
they also can claim a position as work
ers in the world"